This invention relates to the handling of bulk particulate materials and more particularly to filling containers of such materials. The invention further contemplates a system and apparatus for filling containers of such materials while preventing the escape of dust into the ambient atmosphere.
In many industries, it often is required to fill containers with bulk particulate materials for transporting, storing and otherwise handling such materials. Where such materials consist of fine particles such as with titanium oxide, much dust is created when filling such containers, particularly if such materials are pneumatically conveyed. Often, such materials are stored or otherwise maintained in elevated bins and merely gravity fed into containers through the use of various conduits. Whether such materials are gravity fed or force fed, dust is created which results in a possibly hazardous condition, a pollution of the ambient atmosphere, a health problem for operators and a loss of material. Filter systems may be used in certain applications for capturing such dust particles but such equipment adds to the capital investment and operating cost of an operation. Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a system and apparatus for filling containers such as bags with bulk particulate materials of a fine consistency in which the creation of dust is greatly reduced if not entirely eliminated without the use of filter equipment. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such system and apparatus functional to gravity feed a fine, bulk particulate material from an elevated bin by gravity flow without the loss of material in the form of dust to the ambient atmosphere.
The present invention provides an apparatus for filling a container with a bulk particulate material consisting of fine particles with a minimum of loss of such particles to the ambient atmosphere, generally consisting of an upper conduit having a material receiving inlet communicable with an elevated supply of material to be fed into the container, a first intermediate conduit communicating with the upper conduit and swivelable relative to the upper conduit about a first axis, a second intermediate conduit communicating with the first intermediate conduit and swivelable relative to the first intermediate conduit about a second axis parallel to the first axis, a lower conduit having a material discharge outlet, communicating with the second intermediate conduit and swivelable relative to the second intermediate conduit about a third axis parallel to the second axis and means for translating the angular displacement of the lower conduit relative to the second intermediate conduit about the third axis to angular displacement of the first intermediate conduit relative to the upper conduit about the first axis. Such assembly of components allows the lower conduit to be disposed and displaced vertically thus permitting such lower conduit to be inserted into an upwardly opening inlet of a container, extended to a lower end of the interior of the container and displaced upwardly as the container is filled. The ability to extend such lower conduit into the interior of the container and withdraw it as the level of material in the container rises maintains the outlet of the lower conduit within the container and adjacent the level of material in the container to correspondingly minimize the creation of dust and the escape of such dust through the container inlet to the ambient atmosphere.